Sport

Mortimer save their best for last

SAVING their best until last, Cleobury Mortimer produced the finest result of the season in their final game, pulling off a 13-10 upset at runaway leaders Harborne.

A fierce defensive display from Allan Shields’ men ensured the post-season beers will taste a little sweeter for the Cleobury men, who finish the year in fourth in Midlands Four West (North)

And if the club can build on this next season, Shields hopes his side will finishing the year, like Harborne, looking down on the rest of the league.

Among the priorities however, is rebuilding a second team – which has fallen away due to lack of numbers.

“We said at the start of the year we weren’t in a position to go up,” said Shields’, whose side was relegated into the division last season.

“But it has been a good season.

“Saturday was a great win – they hadn’t lost at home all season.”

It was the wide men who ran the points in – tries from full-back Alex Howman and wing Dave Shorter adding to a crucial three points from Shield – but defence that won the game.

Shields said: “Defence was great from everybody, we tackled hard and held on.”

It’s an identity the team will want to build on next year, under its new captain, veteran scrum-half Willie Bates.

It’s no surprise then that the four names rumoured for Player of the Year honours are tough-tackling back-rows Tom Leech, John Holland and Sam Sutton and hard-hitting flanker-tunrned-centre Josh Phillips.

LUDLOW lost out in their penultimate Midlands Two West league game at Moseley Oak in a free-scoring match-up with the fourth-placed side.

They will look to bounce back from the 41-28 defeat, their third in four games, when they visit Bridgnorth and face off with former skipper Darren Brick.